Costa Rica President and Basel Peace Office release resource for religious leaders:
UN Secretary-General offers support
25 September, 2013: The President of the Republic of Costa Rica, H.E. Mrs. Laura Chinchilla Miranda, today released a Resource Guide on Nuclear Disarmament for Religious Leaders and Communities at a high level consultation held in the United Nations in New York. (Click here for a preview copy).
The Resource Guide was developed by Alyn Ware and the Basel Peace Office for Religions for Peace, a global coalition of representatives of the world’s major religions.
The release of the Resource Guide, taking place a day before a UN High Level Meeting of the General Assembly on Nuclear Disarmament, was attended by religious leaders, government officials and civil society representatives. The event included deliberations on the roles and actions that religious leaders and faith-based communities can play in bridging the political gaps that hinder nuclear disarmament, and thier roles also in building the shared human security approach to achieving a nuclear weapon free world.
President Laura Chinchilla launches the Nuclear Disarmament Resource with Dr Vendley and Ambassador Ulibarri (Costa Rica)
President Chinchilla noted the importance of governments and religious communities working together to ban nuclear weapons, end war, and shift public resources from militarism to meeting social and economic means, and stated that “…the action of civil society and faith-based communities is critically important. This is why this gathering to launch the Religions for Peace Resource Guide is so important.”
Mr Ware noted that small countries like Costa Rica might not be physically powerful, but have significant moral and political influence. “Costa Rica’s actions in abolishing its military and advancing nuclear abolition at the UN have thus had a high impact. Religious leaders and faith based communities also have great moral and political influence. Religious faiths have shared values of respect for life and humanity that can bridge the divides that currently give rise to nuclear weapons, and build instead the peace and security of a nuclear weapon free world.”
Alyn Ware with President Chinchilla and Deepika Singh (Religions for Peace)
Mr Ware quoted from ‘No Ordinary Sun’ an anti-nuclear poem taught in New Zealand schools, noted the uniquely destructive effects of nuclear weapons as a common threat to peoples of all faiths that requires action for common security. “This threat does not lead me to despair,” said Mr Ware. “Rather, I have found hope in preparing this resource as I have found that religious communities are taking action around the world. This resource could help enhance this action and assist in making it even more effective.”
H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations General-Secretary, stated in a message to the release that “Because of their large membership and principled positions, religious groups in particular have enormous potential to advance nuclear disarmament worldwide.” He thus commended Religions for Peace for its work on nuclear disarmament. “Its new publication ‘Resource Guide on Nuclear Disarmament for Religious Leaders and Communities’ is a welcome step forward on the road to a nuclear-weapon-free world.”
Dr. William F. Vendley, Secretary General, Religions for Peace described the long partnership that Religions for Peace has had with the Costa Rican government in advancing nuclear disarmament. He went on to say that “Religious leaders and communities can play vital roles in helping to achieve a nuclear weapons free world. I encourage you to use your own faith—in principled solidarity with believers of other faiths—to help end the danger and moral tyranny of nuclear weapons.”
Rev Leonid Kishkovsky and Rev Kyoichi Sugino
Other speakers included
- V. Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky, Director of External Affairs, Orthodox Church in America and Moderator of Religions for Peace
- Imam Shamsi Ali, Chairman of the Al-Hikmah Mosque and the Director of Jamaica Muslim Center, (click here for his presentation on the illegality of nuclear weapons under Islaic law), and
- Rev. Kyoichi Sugino, Director of International Affairs, Rissho Kosei-kai International Center for Engaged Buddhism and Deputy Secretary General of Religions for Peace.
Key interventions were also made by Ambassador Douglas Roche, Former Disarmament Ambassador for Canada and founding Chair of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament; Ambassador Manuel B. Dengo, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations Office at Geneva and Mr. Jonathan Granoff, President, Global Security Institute, Sufi, Senior Advisor to the Nobel Peace Laureate Summits.